In this article:
Overview
Accounting Code Allocation helps finance and legal teams accurately assign and manage accounting codes for invoices in LawVu. By supporting multiple accounting code fields and automatically carrying allocations from matters to invoices, this feature reduces manual entry and minimizes coding errors.
Finance teams often require invoices to include multiple accounting codes, such as:
Region
Department
Billing Entity
Cost Center
Accounting code allocations are included in invoice exports, invoice grids and Accounts Payable emails, helping ensure invoices are accurately categorized and processed downstream.
How it works
Once accounting codes have been configured by an administrator, users can assign them directly to matters. These allocations then become the default accounting codes for any invoices raised against that matter.
When an invoice is posted to a matter:
The accounting code allocations are automatically inherited from the matter
Users can review and update the values before the invoice is approved
The accounting codes are included in invoice exports, emails, grids, and the email to the AP team.
Configure Accounting codes
As an administrator, navigate to Settings > Spend Management > Accounting Codes:
1. Configure Accounting Fields and Codes
LawVu supports up to 8 accounting code fields, including the standard fields:
Region
Department
Billing Entity
You can also create up to 5 custom fields, such as:
Cost Centre
Business Unit
Project Code
Practice Area
Line of Business
To add a custom field:
Click Add new allocation field. Enter the field name.
Add the accounting code values for each field.
Bulk upload accounting codes
If you have a large number of accounting code values to import, our Support team can assist with a bulk upload.
Simply send your CSV file to the Support team using the chat button in LawVu, and they’ll help upload the codes for you.
2. Assign accounting codes to matters
When creating or editing a matter, users can select the relevant accounting codes.
These become the default allocations for invoices associated with that matter.
Of course, the accounting codes need to be added to the respective matter type details previously:
3. Invoice Inherits Accounting Codes
When an invoice is raised against a matter:
The invoice automatically inherits the accounting code allocations
Users can review the inherited values before processing the invoice
If the accounting code allocation is incorrect or missing, users can select the Edit icon to update the values before approval.
Note: Accounting codes cannot be edited after the invoice has been approved.
4. Export to Finance Systems
Once the invoice is approved, it will be automatically sent to Accounts Payable. The accounting code allocations are included in that email:
The Accounting code will also be visible from the grid:
If you have an API, you may need your IT team or partner to update this to pull the information from this field.
Example use cases
Organizations may use Accounting Code Allocation to:
Requirement | Example |
Allocate by department | Legal, HR, Procurement |
Allocate by region | APAC, EMEA, North America |
Allocate by business unit | Commercial, Corporate, Operations |
Allocate by project | Transformation Program, Litigation Matter |
Allocate by cost center etc | 1001, 2045, 3300 |
Frequently asked questions
Question | Answer |
I currently use the Cost Centre field for accounting codes. Do I need to change? | No. You can continue using the existing field if you prefer. The previous free-text Cost Centre field has been renamed Notes for Finance, but it will continue to work the same way. |
I use custom matter fields for accounting codes. Do I need to change? | No. You can continue using your existing custom matter fields. However, Accounting Code Allocation provides additional benefits, such as making accounting codes visible and editable at the invoice level. |
What if my accounting codes are based on Region, Department, or Billing Entity? | Existing Region, Department, and Billing Entity fields can already be used as accounting code fields. Simply add the relevant accounting code values in the Accounting Codes settings page. No additional rework is required. |
Why is an accounting code showing in red on my invoice? | This usually means the accounting code assigned to the invoice is no longer available or has changed on the related matter. Edit the invoice and select a valid accounting code before approval. |
Will I need to update my API integration? | Possibly. Accounting Code Allocation uses fields available through Public API v2. Your IT team or integration partner may need to update the integration to retrieve these fields. |
Can I allocate one invoice across multiple accounting code combinations? | Not currently. At this stage, invoices can only be assigned to a single set of accounting code allocations. |